Fire-escape.



Wl BERGENRUTH.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION min DEc.12, 1914.

1 164,980. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

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WILLIAM BERGENROTH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Deo. 21, 1915.

Application filed December 12, 1914. Serial No. 876,797.

To all whomz't-may concern:

Bex it; known that I, NVILLIAM BERGEN- noTH, a,`v citizen vof the United States-'of America, A resid'ir`1g .at Manhattan borough, cityacounty, and State ofV New York, have -invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Fire-.Escapea'of which the following .is a full, clear, and exact description. i

This invention relates to an improvement in fire-escapes, the object being to provide a device by which a person. or persons can escape fromV aburning building. .Y

My improved'device is arranged so that the person using it `can control the rapidity of his or her ownescape by a novel arrangement of clutches designed to grip the rope with which the device is equipped and which is secured at yone end to the building, to the outer wall thereof, or at a point within a room adjacent a window. .f i' A My improved device is also equipped with a safety `device by which means the operator can control his or her descent should'the autornatic clutch operatingtspring break or otherwise become defective.

Other features of improvement, such as a novelr cable rewinding device, will also be hereinafter described.

'-I- will now proceed to describe my invention in detail, the novel features of which I will point out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, wherein,-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of myV improvement, partly in section; Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view, the section being taken on a line 2.2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3l is an enlarged sectional detail viewr'offone of the clutch operating levers, the section being taken on line 3--3 Fig. 1.

In the drawing 1 indicates a frame or hanger provided at its lower end with a reel 2 carrying a rope or cable 3 which passes through a casing 4 connected to the frame 1 at the upper end thereof. The upper end of said frame carries a head 5 which is threaded into a union 6, which union connects the casing 4 and frame 1. The rope 3 passes through the head 5 as shown. Between the side members 7 of the frame 1, and adjacent the head 5, I place (in this instance) two shoes or clutches 8 having pins 9 passing loosely through openings 10 in the said frame members 7. The frame members 7 are also provided with slots 11 and adjacent said slots with lugs 12 which support the pivots 13 of (in this instance) two levers 14. rIhe levers 14 carry toes lfbearingv against the shoes 8, one surface`16 -of said toes constituting a cam to jam or force` the shoes 8 against the rope 3.

To 'automatically actuate they arms 14 to4 force the shoes 8 against the rope, I employ a spring 17 which at its lower end bears against the head 5 of the framel. The upper end of said spring bearsagainst a Islidable cross-head 18 which passes through slots 119 in the casing 4. The head 18 is connected by links 20 to the levers 14. In the position shown in Fig. 1, the spring 17 is` holding the levers 14 upwardly, thereby forcing the shoes 8 against the rope 3. To release the shoes 8, the handles 14 will be pulled downwardly to the dotted position, and the pivotal latches 22 carried thereby caused to engage the pins 21 on the frame 1, whereby the said 4levers are held in their downward or released position. To engage the pins 21 each latch 22 is provided .with an eye 22a. To prevent the frame from descending too rapidly, should the spring 17 break, I provide means whereby the shoes can be actuated to grip the rope manually or by the use of the device.

To carry out this feature of the invention, I provide each shoe 8 with the pin 9 passing loosely through the side members 7 of the frame 1, said pins being alined with lugs 24, one on each latch 22 ofthe leversl 14. Should the spring 17 break, the levers 14 would be pulled downwardly until the lugs 24 strike the pins 9;k a further downward pull of the levers will force the shoes against the rope 3, thereby"gripping the same.

A further feature of the invention consists of a device to rewind the rope upon the reel 2 after a descent. The device herein illustrated consists of a gear 25 carried by the shaft 26 of the reel 2, said gear having in mesh therewith a pinion 27 carried by a shaft 28 which also carries a coil spring 29 (see also Fig. 2.) While the frame is descending thc spring 29 will be wound up, and when the frame is detached from the body, the spring will rotate the reel 2, thereby causing it to travel upwardly upon the rope, which movement will rewind the rope upon the reel.

As shown in Fig. 1 the lever latches 22 are pivotally secured at one end to the levers 14 at 3Q, spring actuated pins 31 being em ployed to hold the said latches, at the other end, in alinement with said levers, as shown in Fig. 1. The pins 31 pass throug-h the lugs 24, on the latches 22 and brackets 31"71 on the levers 14 (see Fig. 3).

For attachment to the body, the frame 1 is provided with an adjustable belt 32 which can be secured in any desirable vmanner to the body.

To use the device, the rope 3 is secured, at its upper end, lto a suitable support within or on the outside of the building. The strap 32 is then passed around the body and secured, the levers 14 having in the meantime beenv released from the holding pins 21 and caused to force the shoes inwardly by the spring 17. To descend, the user will pull the levers 14 slightly downward to release the shoes, or take a slight pressure off the rope. The device will now descend as gradually as the user wishes. Should the spring 17 break the levers 14 would be pulled downward, as described, to force the shoes 8 inwardly. lVhile the frame is descending, the rope 3 will unwind and the spring 29 will wind up. When the strap 32 is taken from the body the spring 29 will react and rewind the rope 3.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fire esca-pe, a frame, a rope, clutches carried by the frame and engaging said rope, means to actuate the clutchesconsisting of a plurality of levers pivotally secured to said frame, pivotal latches carried by said levers to engage the frame and hold said levers out of contact with said clutches, pins carried by the clutches passing through said frame, lugs carried by said latches' adapted to aline with sai-d pins, and means to support saidlatches in parallelism with said levers to cause the lugs lcarried thereby to aline with the pins on said clutches.

2. In a re-escape, a frame, aA rope,

Copies of this p atent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the clutches carried by the frame and engaging said rope, means to actuate the clutches consisting of a plurality of levers pivotally secured to said frame, a spring to swing said levers upwardly and force the inner ends thereof against said clutches, pins carried by said clutches, and means carried by the levers arranged to contact with said pins and force said clutches against the rope,

when said levers are swung downwardly.

v3. In a lire-escape, a frame, a rope, clutches to engage the rope, a vertically mov able cross-head, means operable by the crossheadV to actuate the clutches, a spring to force said cross-head lupwardly to cause, the clutches to engage the rope, and means to draw saidcross-head downwardly and put said spring'under an increased tension and to also disengage the clutches' from the rope.

4. In a fire-escape,- a frame, a rope, clutches to engage the rope, a vertically movable cross-head, means operable by the crosshead to actuate the clutches, a spring surround-ing the rope to force said cross-head upwardly to cause the clutches to engage the rope, and means to draw said cross-head downwardly and put said spring under an increased tension and to also disengage the clutches from the rope.

5. In a lire-escape, a frame, a rope, clutches to engage the rope, a vertically Inovable cross-head, levers to actuate said clutches, links connecting the levers and the cross-head, a casing supporting said crosshead, and a spring within the casing bearing against said cross-head and tending to force it upwardly to cause said levers to actuate the clutches, said levers being manually operable toVv release said clutches.

Signed at New York city, N. Y., this 10th day of December, 1914.

WILLIAM BERGENRO'IH. `Witnesses:

MAUICRE BLOGK, EDWARD A. JARvis.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

